Retail Leaders Join Simbe's New Client Advisory Board to Advance Real-time Store Intelligence Across the Industry

Executives from SPAR, BJ's Wholesale Club, Schnuck Markets, Harmons Grocery, Country Supplier and more unite to shape store execution; renowned strategist Thom Blischok joins as executive advisor to Simbe leadership.

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Simbe, the global leader in retail shelf digitization and store intelligence, today announced the formation of its inaugural Client Advisory Board (CAB), uniting leaders from some of the world's most innovative retailers to inform product strategy, foster peer collaboration, and guide the future of shelf digitization.

The CAB complements Simbe's Strategic Advisory Board and reflects growing investment in technologies that drive executional precision, operational efficiency, and associate empowerment at scale.

Global retailers can recoup an average of 5.5% revenue annually with technology-enabled store efficiencies, and planned investments in related technologies have surged 151% year-over-year according to Coresight Research. Robotic platforms now represent the largest area of growth within store intelligence.

"The CAB reflects our belief that the best innovation comes from partnership, not only with Simbe but also with industry peers," said Benjamin Bond, SVP Strategy & Client Success at Simbe. "This forum ensures Simbe will continue to lead the industry in maximizing the value and impact for our clients."

Client Advisory Board Members
The board spans half a dozen sectors — from grocery and club, to farm and home improvement — and includes leaders with deep experience in store operations, technology, supply chain, and automation from some of the most innovative companies worldwide:

• Kim Anderson - VP of Store Operations Support at Schnuck Markets; 40-year Schnucks veteran with leadership roles overseeing operations, workforce, maintenance, and inventory management.
  
  
• Assia Cloran - District Manager at Country Supplier; 20+ years of retail experience with 12 years at Country Supplier leading multi-store operations, team development, and customer experience.
  
  
• Nina Dedic - GenAI Product Lead at SPAR ICS; 15+ years of technology leadership with prior roles as CTO at Simplify Hospitality and Head of Core Development at Wüstenrot Technology.
  
  
• Nick DeSetto - Director of Assets & Loss Prevention at ShopRite Supermarkets; 17-year Wakefern veteran with roles spanning operations, store management, and analytics.
  
  
• Mandi Dyer - COO of Country Supplier; 20+ years with C-A-L Ranch & Coastal Farm & Ranch leading operations and technology innovation across 50+ stores.
  
  
• Bruce Hatch - CIO at Harmons Grocery; 20+ years of IT leadership across retail, SaaS, and eCommerce, with expertise in enterprise systems, integrations, and AI-driven innovation.
  
  
• Krystyna Kostka - Chief Supply Chain Officer at BJ's Wholesale Club; 20+ years of leadership across operations and supply chain, overseeing end-to-end logistics and robotics innovation at BJ's.
  
  
• Caroline Krieger - Robotics & Automation Manager at BJ's Wholesale Club; 6 years with BJ's leading robotics pilots, adoption, and process innovation, with earlier finance roles at TJX.
  
  
• Adrian Salazar - Director of Workforce Management at Schnuck Markets; 18-year Schnucks veteran with leadership roles spanning merchandising, operations, and labor management.

Together, the group will share operational expertise, shape Simbe's product roadmap, and strengthen cross-ecosystem collaboration to maximize impact across fleets and formats.

Measurable Impact for Simbe Clients
Retailers already deploying Simbe's Store Intelligence™ platform report measurable outcomes. Simbe customers have seen 98% on-shelf availability, 90% improved pricing and promo accuracy, and 2% margin growth, while store teams reallocate up to 50 hours per week to higher-value tasks. 

"Automated inventory control and integrated reporting ensure better control of product availability on the shelves of our stores, and our employees have more time for personal customer service. A win-win situation for all parties," said SPAR Austria Group's CEO, Hans K. Reisch.

"Tally has made a major impact on our pricing accuracy as well as our out-of-stock rate," noted Country Supplier COO Mandi Dyer.

Thom Blischok Joins as Executive Advisor
In addition to the CAB, Simbe also welcomes retail strategist Thom Blischok as an executive advisor to the CEO and leadership team. A 40-year industry veteran, Blischok previously served as Chief Retail & CPG Strategist at PwC and held senior global roles at Symphony IRI, Equifax, Coopers & Lybrand.

"Retailers and CPG manufacturers are navigating hundreds of new technologies. Some will succeed, and many will not," said Blischok. "Simbe is a proven, scalable platform with over a decade of performance and adoption. I'm excited to help shape how the industry capitalizes on intelligent automation."

Advancing a Connected, Intelligent Retail Ecosystem
The CAB announcement follows a series of strategic milestones for Simbe, including:

• The launch of Simbe's Strategic Advisory Board
• The debut of Simbe for Merchants, a premium analytics bundle for merchandising teams
• New large-scale deployments in 10 countries, the most of any vendor in the category

Simbe continues to lead the market in delivering scalable, people-centered store intelligence that enables real-time visibility, data-driven execution, and a more connected retail ecosystem.

About Simbe
Simbe is the global leader in retail shelf digitization, transforming store interiors into intelligent environments. The company's Store Intelligence™ platform combines mobile robotics, fixed sensors, and computer vision to deliver real-time, actionable insights across inventory, pricing, and merchandising. Simbe serves leading retailers across grocery, club, drug, and general merchandise sectors. For more information, visit www.simberobotics.com.

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SOURCE Simbe Robotics